Heat

It has three forms of transfer: radiation, conduction, and convection.

Radiation

Heat shall ALWAYS flow from a hotter object/material to a cooler object/material. First Principle of Thermodynamics.

Earth radiates heat in the form of infrared radiation. A photon driven wave form of energy. It flies off into space to become whatever. Just remember, heat radiates, cold absorbs. Relatively speaking.

Conduction

Put a hotter object next to a cooler object, touching at a surface facia. Through that contact, heat flows conductively into the cooler object. Much like electricity, but at a much slower rate. In a manner of speaking, the cooler object could be said to be absorbing heat from the hotter object. However, through massive number of experiments, we have found that it is heat that flows into the cooler, as FACT.

Wild Tangent: Did you know that the Heat Conductivity of a material is directly proportional to its Electrical Conductivity? This means that the better a material conducts heat, the better electrical conductivity. Silver, if not the best, is at least second in electrical conductivity. Copper is around 4th. Aluminium around 6th. The problem with Aluminium in pure form is that it sublimates at a temperature very near where it melts. Very difficult to get it pure. You want some nickel, magnesium to strengthen it. And raise its melting point to a point it does not sublimate at the same temperature. Or, very near. Lithium is also added to Aluminium. Lithium’s difference of melting and vapor points is larger than Aluminium’s.

Convection

This occurs due to density stirring. Even within one material, the hotter will be less dense and rise. The cooler will sink since it is more dense. Even if the entire glob of material is the same composition. Heat causes density changes which causes stirring, convection. The hotter floats upward until it reaches a “float” point. Or, all the way out. Volcano. The hotter floats a while, transferring heat through conduction in a layer above. It spreads out and cools and begins the journey back down. And we are talking Ma.

Convection of Solids.

Fluid Dynamics

HERE is a good portal at The Great Wiki.

Basically, the study of how fluids work, behave, move. On and within the Earth, there is tremendous pressure from different sources. When under tremendous pressure, even solids behave in ways very similar to fluidic movement. Just much slower. Thus, some geologists also study Fluid Dynamics to better understand the movement within the Earth as heat boils and bubbles outward. Either as a hobby, as I, or formally at a university. Fluid Dynamics also goes great with Volcanology anyway. Thus, I am self-taught in Fluid Dynamics. No shame. When it comes to knowledge and learning, the only shame is not seeking in the first place.

Fun Fact: A later discovery found that everything behaves as if a fluid anyway. Even that which we would consider indestructibly solid. With enough pressure and heat...

Wild Tangent: Did you know that a diamond can be burnt? Becomes mostly carbon dioxide. Enough heat, enough oxygen, POOF! Goodbye diamond. Sublimates straight to gas.

If you really wish to know more, just do a more thorough search into fluid dynamics. Even I have found, with enough pressure, thus enough heat, that the materials in the two mantles are solid, but pliable enough, to move at incredibly slow rates, behaving much like a fluid. We could be talking about a “full loop” within the convection taking millions of years. Mega-annums (Ma).

Oh... Be careful. The math is quite brutal.

Forewarned is forearmed.

— The Unknown Atheist

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